


Come Undone

by Valisandre



Series: Ballad of the Lion and his Mage [1]
Category: Warcraft (2016)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Banter, Coma, Complete, Drunk Shenanigans, LionTrust, M/M, Mana Exhaustion, Rage, Stonewatch Keep
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-16
Updated: 2018-04-27
Packaged: 2019-04-23 22:14:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 11,639
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14342049
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Valisandre/pseuds/Valisandre
Summary: Khadgar has been at Karazhan for 3 months, Lothar goes to check up on him. Khadgar falls apart emotionally, Lothar is there to pick up the pieces. Things progress from there. Based on movie events, nothing is canon.





	1. Three Months

**Author's Note:**

> This is the first time I'm posting my fan fiction, I got the inspiration from a song my husband has listened to non stop and is constantly in my head now.

“Bookworm? Khadgar?” Anduin Lothar called into the dark tower as he shut the door behind him. It was quiet and dusty. After Llane’s funeral, Khadgar promised the Queen he would return in a few weeks after getting things cleaned up at Karazhan. That was 3 months ago so here Lothar was, checking up as the Queen suggested. He tried not to notice the smirk she had as he headed towards the flight master. Always with the meddling he thought as he shook his head. 

 

“Lothar? Is that you? I’m in the library.” he received in response. Blasted stairs. He sighed heavily, grateful he was only wearing riding gear and not full armor. 

 

He found him standing in the library with a stack of books almost as tall as he was in front of him on a table. The library looked mostly cleaned, some debris leftover from the fight with Medivh, but mostly the books were reshelved and reorganized. 

 

As Lothar came into view Khadgar held his breath. He was hoping that he would have his feelings better under control before he had to see him again. He didn’t WANT to leave Stormwind, but he was scared that Lothar would soon figure out his true feelings. He couldn’t help the attraction to the man. A strong, capable warrior. Fierce and loyal, Khadgar would follow that man to the ends of the world if he asked. It scared him. The Kirin Tor frowned heavily on relationships and taking up the mantle of Guardian meant he needed to keep his head clear. 

 

Not that Medivh did all that good of a job as Guardian and he was alone, aside from Moroes. 

 

It was the loneliness, Medivh said. It makes us weak. Maybe… 

 

He was startled from his thoughts as Lothar clasped his shoulder “Bookworm! I should have known you couldn’t pull yourself away from these books. Have you read them all by now? Maybe even twice?” He joked, a playful smirk on his lips. 

 

“You’ve got to be kidding me, and no. I’ve been mostly cleaning up and trying to get things reorganized. Why are you here, Lothar? Is something wrong?” Khadgar replied, a little panicked. It couldn’t have been that long yet for Lothar to be here, right? 

 

“It’s been 3 months, what does a few weeks mean in spell chucker terms?” 

 

“3 months?!?” 

 

Lothar laughed, “Yes, 3 months. Wow you really lost yourself among all these books. Have you at least been eating? Sleeping? Also, were you aware of the pony sized spiders outside?” 

 

Khadgar laughed at Lothar’s rapid fire questions, closing the book he was holding and gesturing towards the kitchen “It’s actually time for me to eat, would you like to join me? I have slept, and yes I was aware of the pony sized spiders outside. Unfortunate side effect of purging the fel I’m afraid.” He trailed off softly, thinking back to the fight with Medivh. 

“Hey, you aren’t beating yourself up for what you did, are you?” Lothar questioned, his voice softening, less of a commander and more of a friend. “You did what you had to, you saved all of us. Including me.” 

 

Khadgar looked up and met Lothar’s gaze. He smiled, “I’m glad you’re here, Lothar. Let’s eat, shall we?” 

 

Lothar followed Khadgar down to the kitchen. It felt odd being there without Medivh, even if he had not been there for over half a decade. It was still where the Guardian, his friend, resided. 

 

They ate, Lothar telling Khadgar about what had been going on since his departure. The war was still raging strong, but they were managing. News had recently reached Stormwind that the Orcs had landed on the shores of Kalimdor. 

 

Khadgar was disheartened at the news, frustrated that there wasn’t more he could do to help. He was still adjusting to the new powers as a Guardian and there was still a lot to learn. He smiled weakly at Lothar, “It’s late, I assume you’ll be staying tonight at least? Or I could port you home, if you’d like?” 

 

Lothar leaned back in the chair, he could tell there was something on the mage’s mind, but couldn’t put his finger on it. “I just got back from the Burning Steppes, and I’m supposed to be resting, according to Taria, so I’ll stay for a couple of days, if you don’t mind that is, spell chucker. I know you like having this place and those books to yourself.” 

 

Khadgar simply rolled his eyes at the warrior, leading the way to the guest room next to his own quarters. He let Lothar in and bid the other man goodnight. 

 

Closing the door to his room and leaning up against it, Khadgar sighed heavily, smacking the back of his head against the heavy wood. He was exhausted but his stomach clenched in emotional turmoil. He wasn’t sure he would be getting any sleep tonight. 


	2. It's the Loneliness

Lothar woke up suddenly, something startling him out of sleep. He took a moment to remember where he was. Karazhan, that’s right. Khadgar. He stood, wiping the sleep from his eyes and glancing at the window. It was still very dark out, it had to be very early morning yet. He headed towards the door, gently opening it to try to see if he could figure out what jolted him awake. 

 

He could hear shuffling down the stairs, the library. Does that mage ever sleep? He rolled his eyes and headed down quietly. He didn’t want to scare Khadgar or make him feel guilty for waking him. It seemed the young Guardian was already struggling with a lot of guilt these days. 

 

Khadgar stared blankly at the table in front of him. He couldn’t sleep, he couldn’t focus on a book, he couldn’t focus on much of anything it seemed. All he could see was Medivh dying when he closed his eyes. His last words haunting him in the quiet moments. He had hoped Lothar coming to the tower would snap him out of the same, sad routine he had adopted. A couple hours of sleep before bolting awake, sobbing and reliving the last Guardian’s death. 

 

He had been hailed as a hero, but the whispered promises of the Demon offering the Fel to save all those he loved haunted him as much as Medivh’s last words, warning him of the loneliness. He didn’t feel very strong, that’s for sure. He had felt so tempted, but Lothar, his faith in him broke through. 

 

_ “You’re stronger than he is” _

 

He didn’t feel like it. 

 

“Khadgar?” 

 

He jumped at the sound of Lothar’s voice, breaking him of his thoughts. 

 

“I’m sorry, did I wake you? I didn’t mean to, I couldn’t sleep so I came down here and..” he started to ramble. 

 

Lothar gently grabbed Khadgar’s arms to stop him from rambling. “Khadgar, are you okay?” 

 

“I’m fine” he replied, looking away and shaking his head, still trying to clear the intrusive thoughts still clawing away in his mind. 

 

“No, you’re not” Lothar said gently, cupping Khadgar’s chin and forcing him to look at him again. There was so much pain in those brown eyes, his heart broke as he noticed the redness and tear tracts down the young man’s face. 

 

“You’re right, I’m not” Khadgar replied, his voice barely a whisper. He collapsed against Lothar’s chest and sobbed openly, the other man wrapping his arms around him and rubbing his back gently. 

 

It was breaking Lothar’s heart, he had focused on everything else to try to stop the feelings he was having around Khadgar. Avoiding the mage made things worse, not better. For both of them, it seemed. While he still had his sister and her children, Khadgar only had him. 

 

He hugged the mage a little tighter. He could feel Khadgar slowly calming down, his breathing becoming more even and controlled. He let him pull back away from him, looking into his eyes again. 

 

“Lothar, I..” 

 

“Anduin.”

 

“What?” 

 

“Call me Anduin, please.” Lothar responded, with a soft smile. “You’re one of the few people I have left, no need for formalities.” 

 

Khadgar smiled “Okay, Anduin. I’m sorry for unloading on you like that, I guess I just haven’t really processed everything. I’m sorry I woke you.” 

 

“Why don’t we get you back to bed, you look exhausted.” Anduin said, keeping a hand on Khadgar’s back and leading him back to their rooms. He was surprised Khadgar went willingly but didn’t show it. 

 

Khadgar was quiet on the way to his room, he wasn’t sure what to do about the way he was feeling. He wanted to be bold and ask Anduin to stay with him, but he was terrified of pushing away the only friend he had. 

 

_ “It's the loneliness… it makes us weak.” _

 

Khadgar opened the door to his room and sat on the edge of his bed. He stared blankly at the floor. He was aware of Anduin’s movements, he lit the fire, pulled the curtains closed and then made his way over to the bed where he sat down next to him. 

 

“Did I ever tell you what Medivh said to me before he died?” Khadgar asked, keeping his eyes on the floor in front of him. He didn’t think he could look at Anduin with his emotions twisting and curling their way around in his stomach the way they currently were. 

 

Anduin hesitated a bit, he had thought Medivh had passed before he left, he didn’t realize he was still alive. “No, you didn’t. I didn’t know he…” 

 

“I didn’t think I had.” Khadgar interrupted, “He opened a the portal to Stormwind, he held it for as long as he could. He was himself again, I think. Uncorrupted.”

 

Khadgar took a deep breath. He wasn’t sure he could admit this, admit to the Lion of Azeroth that he was weak. 

 

“He said it was the loneliness, it makes us weak.” 

 

Anduin sat for a moment, mulling over what Khadgar had just said. Medivh had shut himself away from his closest friends for six years. The great Guardian of Azeroth, alone in a tower  save one steward who was loyal until the end.  Then it hit him. Khadgar was truly walking in Medivh’s footsteps. He was alone, in this same tower. The tower in which he killed the previous Guardian. Alone with the memories and no one to tell him that it was okay. 

 

“Come to Stormwind with me” 

 

“What?” Khadgar looked up, studying Anduin’s face, trying to figure out what he was thinking. 

 

“Medivh used to have quarters there, near the library. Taria already asked you to be the Mage Consul. Come to Stormwind with me, stay with us.”

 

“But Karazhan, the books…” 

 

“They’ll still be here, you know you can always teleport here if you need to. There are people in Stormwind who would love to have you there.” Anduin swallowed before adding, “I would love to have you there, spell chucker.” 


	3. Stormwind has books, too.

Anduin decided to cook breakfast while that crazy mage tried to pack half the Karazhan library in one satchel. 

 

“I think I’ve narrowed it down enough” Khadgar started to say when he walked into the kitchen “That smells good, I didn’t know you could cook.” 

 

“You do know that the Stormwind library has a ton of books as well, right? I’m sure there’s more than enough to keep you busy, bookworm.” 

 

Khadgar rolled his eyes and sat down. “I doubt that the library has spellbooks just laying around there, Anduin.” 

 

Receiving just a snort of annoyance as a reply, there was a plate of food plopped down in front of him as Anduin took the seat across from him. 

 

“It looks delicious, thank you.” Khadgar said before eating, he didn’t realize how hungry he was. He had spent some time arguing the finer points of putting up wards to protect Karazhan and why he had to pick books to come with him to Stormwind after Anduin’s sudden suggestion to move there. 

 

He supposed it did make sense. With the war still going on and no end in sight, as well as the Queen already asking him to stay as Mage Consul, staying at the castle would be easier than waiting for someone to take the day flight to Karazhan. Teleporting here and back would be much easier for Khadgar. 

He still mulled over Anduin’s added part about wanting him there. He tried to tell himself it was because he had lost his closest friends, Medivh and Llane. But deep down he really wanted it to be something more. 

 

Anduin glanced up at the mage once in a while between bites. He could tell he was lost in thought, he was worried Khadgar saw through him when he was a shade too honest earlier in asking him to come to Stormwind. But then when the young man started arguing about books and wards and that’s when Anduin threw his hands up in frustration and yelled “Mages!” before coming to the kitchen to cook. 

 

“I figured I would teleport us once we’re finished here, since you sent your gryphon back when you arrived.” Khadgar finally said, breaking the silence that hung over them as they ate. 

 

“Are you sure you can teleport that many books?” Anduin snarked, nodding his head towards the satchel overflowing with the books Khadgar said he HAD to take. 

 

Khadgar scoffed in reply and went to go pack his clothes. Anduin cleaned up the dishes, following to his room to grab his pack and be sure it was ready to go as well. 

 

A teleport later had them standing in the courtyard outside of the keep. Anduin showed Khadgar the quarters the former guardian used before heading to drop his things off and speak with Taria. 

 

“Anduin! I didn't expect you back so soon, is Khadgar well?” she asked with a hint of concern in her voice. 

 

“He's fine, he's actually here and making himself at home in Medivh’s old quarters near the library. I assumed you wouldn't mind as you had already offered them before.” 

 

She smiled, that knowing look he would have rather done without. 

 

“Of course! I'm glad he's here.” she replied, “You may want to check in with your men, we had another attack in Redridge.” 

 

Anduin nodded and swiftly headed towards the barracks to find out what had happened. They knew things would be more difficult there when they lost Stonewatch to the orcs. After a briefing he decided to ask Khadgar if he was up to helping them retake it. That keep was vital to keeping the Orcs from pushing forward. He wasn’t sure if the orcs were aware of the new Guardian, this would be a good time to find out. 

 

He found Khadgar in the library, already surrounded by a decent stack of books. 

 

“Anduin!” Khadgar greeted him as he entered the room “Don’t tell anyone I said this, but you were right. There really are a lot of books here.” 

Khadgar saw the troubled look on Anduin’s face, “Is something wrong? Has there been an attack?” He closed the book he had in his hand, setting it down and stepping around the table. 

 

“The Orcs have attacked Lakeshire in Redridge again. I was actually coming to ask you for your assistance in retaking Stonewatch Keep. They have been using it as a stronghold since before the Dark Portal. If we could push them back out of it, we might have a chance of keeping them out of Redridge entirely.” 

 

Khadgar thought it over, there were a few new spells he had picked up that might be able to help with a good push. 

 

“When would we head out?” 

 

“Day after next, I need time to brief everyone and have them ready to go.” 

 

Anduin looked Khadgar over, he seemed to be doing much better here, away from Karazhan. He could see the confidence of the young man who broke into his barracks coming back. 

 

“Hungry?” he asked Khadgar, shaking the train of thought he was shortly going to run down. “I’m headed that way, thought I’d like to see if you’d join me?” 

 

Khadgar perked up, “Sure, I could eat.” 

 

He spared one last glance at the books he had pulled out to look through, “They’ll still be here when you get back, bookworm.” he looked over to Anduin, catching the smirk on his face. 

 

“I can turn people into sheep, you know.” he joked. 

 

“Thought you said it only worked on the simple minded?” 

 

“Exactly.” 

 

As they walked down the hall laughing, Anduin felt a lot more complete having Khadgar in Stormwind. He only hoped he could keep his feelings in check so he didn’t scare Khadgar off.


	4. Stonewatch

They had set up a camp at the edge of Elwynn Forest and Redridge so that the Orcs couldn’t see the legion of troops Anduin had brought. He had just made his rounds and was heading back towards the fire where he saw Khadgar staring into it with an unreadable expression. 

 

“Did you eat?” he asked, setting himself down at an angle so he could still see his face while warming himself by the fire. Spring nights were still cool, the fire was a welcomed warmth. 

“I did, thank you.” Khadgar responded quietly, still staring into the fire. He had been quiet much of the ride over, lost in his thoughts. He was the Guardian now, he was much stronger than he was when he fought Medivh or when he was faced with his first ambush. He still was unsure of himself. Reading about these spells, what they do and how to cast them, was one thing. It was entirely different to be casting them and having others depending on you. 

 

Khadgar felt a small rock hit his chest, causing him to look up and see Anduin grinning playfully. He laughed, shaken from his thoughts, thankfully. He tossed it back at him, the warrior ducking just before it hit him square in the face. 

 

“You will stay near me when we ride in, we are going to force our way into the building and push outward from there. Now, get some sleep.” Anduin told him before laying down on his bedroll. He still kept an eye on the mage as he watched him settle down as well. 

 

Khadgar laid on his back staring up at the sky. While staring at the stars he went over in his head his approach. They were going to head straight for the command building, he was going to help get the troops inside, allowing them to retake it and take out the leaders. Once they had control of the main building, it wouldn’t be much to push back outward and take the entire keep back. It was going to take a lot of concentration and a lot of mana, depending on how much resistance they faced. 

 

Anduin glanced over to Khadgar, noting the mage was deep in thought again. He tossed another rock at him with a grin.

 

“You think too much.” 

 

“Or maybe you don’t think enough” Khadgar shot back, clearly broken from his thoughts again with another chuckle.

 

They seemed to have fallen back into their teasing and banter, something Anduin missed when Khadgar left Stormwind. He wondered if the mage missed it as well. He was a little harder to read than he was before, closed off almost.  

 

They both laughed and finally went to sleep, knowing they needed their rest for the morning.

 

\-----

 

“Khadgar!” Anduin yelled over the clashes of steel and cries of fighting. “We need to get into that building!”

 

Khadgar cast another flamestrike, knocking back the rest of the orcs running to try to prevent entry into the command building. Anduin led the troops in, Khadgar running in last. He put up a shield at the entrance, hoping that they will get the upper hand quickly enough that he wouldn’t have to hold it for long. He could still cast while holding the shield up, but it would take a lot of mana and concentration to do so. 

 

Anduin led his troops up the stairs, taking out the orcs easily enough. After fighting with them for so many months now, it seemed easier and easier to take them in hand to hand combat than it was when they first battled them. They were finally at the top of the building and charged the handful of orc leaders left. 

 

Khadgar’s arms were starting to shake. Normally the shields didn’t take much to hold, but the fight towards the building was a bit more than they thought it would be, so he was already starting to feel his mana exhausting. They were so close now, he could hear them taking out the remaining leaders and orcs in the building. 

 

Anduin called for troops to man the catapults and push the orcs outside of the building back. He knew Khadgar wouldn’t be able to hold the shield for long. He sent another group back down to push out once Khadgar dropped the shield.

 

Khadgar heard the catapults at the top being launched, knocking back the orcs that were trying to push towards the building. Concentrating all his effort he cast one more flamestrike, hearing the orcs call out and watching them retreat. He knew he wasn’t going to last much longer. 

 

“Drop the shield, Khadgar!” he heard Anduin yell before he collapsed and promptly passed out. 

 

“Commander! The Guardian is down!” rang through the building. Anduin sprinted down the stairs, ordering his men to push out and defend the building they had taken over. The orcs were retreating, he hoped back to Burning Steppes so they could establish control of the keep. 

 

Sounds of battle were quieting down as Anduin carried Khadgar into one of the rooms. He set him down and the one of the medics checked him over. 

 

“Just mana exhaustion, sire.” she said. “He’s going to need rest. There’s nothing more I can do.”

 

Khadgar slept deeply, the first time he had slept without nightmares in months. 


	5. No Longer Alone

Anduin had Khadgar moved to the more private quarters he had taken over once they were in control of the keep. There he could keep a closer eye on him while they set to work. He sent word to Taria of their victory, mentioning that it had exhausted Khadgar but that he was recovering. They had been repairing and setting up the keep for use. He and Khadgar would be leaving in two days, once he had troops stationed here and things under control. 

 

He sat on the other bed in the room, after taking off his armor and setting them to the side. He was exhausted himself, the remaining orcs left at the keep didn’t go down without a fight. There were surprisingly few injuries and deaths. They really had learned how to fight the orcs over the last few months. He flopped back on his bed, hands behind his head and just stared at the ceiling. 

 

Khadgar was slowly waking up. Hearing movement around him, soldiers outside the keep shouting orders to each other. He was slowly remembering the last thing he did… dropping the shield. He tried to open his eyes “Ugh, bright” he muttered before closing them and rolling away from the light from the window. 

 

Anduin shot up at the sound of Khadgar’s voice and was immediately over to his bedside. 

 

“Easy, don’t try to move too fast. You’ve been out cold for 2 days, spell chucker. You exhausted yourself, but you kept us safe. Thank you.”

 

Anduin patted his back and then left his hand there as he spoke. He was all too aware of the tightening in his chest from the physical contact with the mage, but he made no effort to move it. 

 

“We took back the keep?” Khadgar asked, trying to keep his voice even in spite of the pounding of his heart from Anduin’s closeness. 

 

“Yes, you and I will be leaving here in 2 days, back to Stormwind. We will be leaving a group here to maintain it and make repairs. We will also have to send some materials, the orcs did a number on some of the buildings here.” 

 

Anduin stood up, and closed the curtains to the window to make it less bright. “Does that help?” 

 

Khadgar opened his eyes and then sat up, slowly. “Yes, it does. Thank you.” 

 

He watched Anduin walk over and retrieve 2 bowls of food, handing one of them to him before sitting down next to him. 

 

“Eat, I just got in here. Good timing, it’s still warm” Anduin said with a smile. 

 

Khadgar ate slowly, wanting to be sure before he really dove into it. He was hungry, 2 days of sleeping would do that to anyone, but he didn’t want to make things worse for himself. It was just what he needed, it seemed. 

 

They ate in silence, both seemingly lost in their thoughts. 

 

Anduin finished eating, putting the bowl on the table near the bed and looked back to Khadgar. The mage seemed to be relaxing as he ate, he looked a little worn down still but the color was back in his face. He would be lying if he said he had not been worried, the mage was so pale when they first called out to him as he went down. While he was a very powerful mage, he was still young and not very battle worn. He knew that it had to have taken a toll on him. 

 

“You did great, we were able to take back the building and the keep with very few injuries. I don’t think we could have done it without you, Khadgar.” 

 

Khadgar was shaken from his thoughts when he heard Anduin speak. He sat stunned for a moment before smiling “I’m glad you came to Karazhan, Anduin. Otherwise I couldn’t have helped.” 

 

_ I would have been alone in that tower had you not come. _

 

“Me too.” 

 

Anduin stood and crossed to a door that went into an adjoining room, it held the bare minimum for wash facilities. He opened it and turned to Khadgar “I’m sure you would want to wash up a bit, you can use these here. I know you’re still recovering so I can have water brought in, if needed.” 

 

“I’m feeling well enough that conjuring won’t be a problem, thank you Anduin.” 

 

He nodded, “I have to make some rounds, so you’ll have some privacy.” and left the quarters, closing the door quietly. 

 

Khadgar finished eating, placing his bowl next to Anduin’s on the table and walked over. He conjured some warm water, finding it didn’t pull too much mana to do so. He realized he would have to take it slow for a few days, letting his body and mana recover. That much spell casting under that kind of pressure was a lot, powers of a Guardian or not. He took his time cleaning up, finding his muscles were sore. Once he was finished he crossed over to his pack, pulling on a simple linen shirt and some trousers. He didn’t need anything heavier right now, he was still exhausted. He grabbed a book from his pack and sat on his bed, leaning against the headboard and began to read. 

 

Anduin returned to his quarters to find the mage asleep, up against the headboard with a book draped across his chest. He shook his head and laughed lightly, taking the book and setting it on the side table. He shifted Khadgar into a better position, tossed the blanket over him and then went and got into his bed. The last thing he thought of was the way Khadgar’s eyes lit up when he would smile at him. 


	6. I won't let you fall

The next two days passed by fairly quickly and it wasn’t long before they were getting ready to leave. Khadgar relented and agreed to take a gryphon back to Stormwind. He wasn’t 100% yet and didn’t trust himself to teleport them safely. He watched as Anduin smoothly climbed on the gryphon, then climbed behind him. 

 

“I’ll never get used to these things.” he muttered under his breath. He had a hold of Anduin’s tunic but as the gryphon took off, he yelped and grabbed tighter. Anduin laughed loudly at the mage’s expense. “You okay back there, spell chucker?” he called over his shoulder. 

 

Khadgar poked Anduin’s ribs in response, and then wrapped his arms around his torso for a better grip. “Now you get to make sure I don’t fall off!” he laughed back in response. He tried to ignore the feeling bubbling up in his chest being pressed so close to Anduin. Light, help him if Anduin ever figured out his feelings. 

 

Anduin felt a warmth settle over him as he felt Khadgar’s arms tighten around him. He took his free hand and patted Khadgar’s arm once before holding onto it. “I won’t let you fall, but you really should take a look at the view. It’s quite gorgeous this time of year.” he told him, his voice a little softer but still strong enough to carry over the wind. 

 

Khadgar was hesitant, but pulled his face up enough to look around. It really was beautiful. He could see the crops starting to poke through the farmlands, the trees blooming. There was wildlife roaming everywhere. He relaxed more and closed his eyes. Listening to the wind as they flew towards Stormwind, the sound of the water running over the rocks in the creeks and rivers. 

 

Anduin felt Khadgar relax, but still left his hand on his arm. He didn’t want to move it and Khadgar didn’t seem to mind. He spared a glance over his shoulder and noticed that the mage had his eyes closed with a content smile and seemed to be enjoying the ride. 

 

He sighed when he saw Stormwind coming into view, this moment he seemed to be having with Khadgar coming to an end. He reluctantly removed his hand from Khadgar’s arm and guided the gryphon to the landing. 

 

Khadgar felt a little pang of disappointment when he felt Anduin’s hand leave his arm, but opened his eyes to see why when he felt the gryphon drop down. Stormwind already? If only they could have had a longer flight. 

 

Anduin dismounted first, taking the packs Khadgar handed him before moving so the mage could jump down. He handed over the reins to the flight master after giving the gryphon one last scratch on her neck. He helped Khadgar grab some of the packs and they headed towards the castle. 

 

“I’m gonna toss my stuff into my quarters and go speak with Taria, would you like to join me for lunch afterwards? I can swing by and get you when I’m ready to go, if you’d like.” Anduin asked while they nodded hello to people as they made their way through the trade district. 

 

“That sounds great, actually. I’ll just be in my quarters, I need to put this stuff away anyway.” Khadgar replied, jostling one of the packs on his shoulder. 

 

Anduin nodded and they finished making their way to the castle, climbing the stairs in silence. It was a content type of silence, just enjoying one another’s company. They split up, each going to their quarters. 

 

He found Taria in the sitting room, she brightened as he walked in and walked over and hugged him. “I'm so glad you were successful!” she said cheerily. “How is Khadgar? I received your letter, thank you for sending it so I wouldn’t worry.” 

 

“He’s much better, he’s still recovering in terms of magic, but physically he’s fine. We really wouldn’t have been able to take the keep had it not been for him. He’s a very powerful Guardian.” He replied, returning her hug. 

 

“I have troops stationed there, and we will need some supplies sent for rebuilding some of the areas of the keep. I’ll have those orders written up before tomorrow.”

 

“You just got back, surely work can wait until the morning. Why don’t you and Khadgar just take some time and rest?” Taria said, a small tease in her voice. 

 

Anduin just narrowed his eyes at her, smirking. “Yes. I think we will. Please don’t meddle, sister mine.” 

 

She laughed lightly and shooed him out of the room. 

 

He shook his head and walked down the hallway heading towards Khadgar’s quarters. It seemed odd to him, that at one point in his life the former Guardian, his dear friend, used to reside in those same quarters. He felt like a bundle of nerves when he knocked on the door to Khadgar’s room. 

 

“Come in.” 

 

Khadgar was busy reshelving books when he heard Anduin knock, and turned to greet him as he came in. “Give me just a moment, if I don’t put these back they’ll sit for days.” he said with a quick smile. 

 

“Are all mages this messy?” Anduin asked, looking around the room and seeing parchments and books on all the tables and even some on the bed. 

“Part of the job, I’m afraid.” Khadgar quipped, putting the last book from his pack in its place. “You never stop learning, never stop researching. There’s always something new to learn as a mage. Don’t you practice? Same concept.” 

 

He turned to find the warrior watching him intently. 

 

“Is something wrong?” Khadgar asked, trying to speak around the lump in his throat. He couldn’t read Anduin’s eyes. 

 

Anduin took a moment before responding, studying the mage’s face. There was something there, but he didn’t know how to address it. “Yes, bookworm, I’m hungry. Let’s go eat.” he settled on saying, it was safer for now. 

 

Khadgar laughed, trying to shake the feeling that there was more to that look on Anduin’s face than the warrior was letting on. 


	7. What are we going to do about this?

Anduin somehow convinced Khadgar that going to the Lion’s Pride inn in Goldshire to eat was a good idea. He wasn’t sure why he went along with it, something along the lines of being unable to tell the warrior no. It was a nice day outside, and the walk seemed to help clear his mind. 

 

Anduin ordered their food, including mead for himself. He looked sideways at Khadgar and ordered him wine in addition to the tea the mage prefered while Khadgar wasn’t paying attention. 

 

“Thank you” they told innkeeper when their food and drink arrived at the table. 

 

“What’s this?” Khadgar asked Anduin, poking the glass with an unsure finger. 

 

“Wine” Anduin said, taking a drink of his mead. 

 

Khadgar made a face “I… I don’t drink.” 

 

“Have you ever tried it?” 

 

“Well, no.”

 

“Try it.”

 

“Why?” 

 

“Call it a study if you want, bookworm, just try it.” 

 

Khadgar rolled his eyes and sipped it, finding it wasn’t THAT bad. He kicked at Anduin when he looked up and saw the knowing smirk the warrior gave him. “Shut up. Okay, so it’s good. Probably better than the swill you’re drinking I’m sure.” He was sure it was frowned on, but he drank anyway. 

 

Anduin was enjoying the change Khadgar went through as the night progressed. At some point Khadgar had switched to the “swill” as he called it, but found that the mage was swiftly out pacing him without it affecting him as much as it was Anduin. He found himself wondering how someone like the mage even existed. 

 

Khadgar found himself relaxed and carefree for the first time since, well since he could remember. Eventually he looked at Anduin and realized he was definitely out pacing him and nowhere near as drunk. 

 

“Hey, we should head back to the castle, hm?” he asked as Anduin polished off his last glass. “Or else Taria might send a search party and that would ruin the fun.” he finished with a grin. 

 

“Probably.” Anduin grunted, standing and almost falling over. Khadgar was quick to catch him and smiled at the barkeeper as he helped Anduin walk out. He knew porting was out of the question, he wasn’t as drunk as Anduin but he definitely didn’t want to chance it. 

 

“How” Anduin started, looking over at the mage incredulously, “How does someone like you even exist?” 

 

Khadgar laughed, “Not sure. I feel pretty good right now. Hey, watch this.” he focused in front of them for a brief second and a light appeared, guiding their path back to Stormwind. 

 

“That it?” Anduin challenged. It wasn’t often he saw the mage use his magic outside of battle it seemed, he was curious what else lay in hidden in behind those warm brown eyes. 

 

Khadgar smirked at him “What, do you want parlor tricks or something? Hold out your hand.” 

 

Anduin raised an eyebrow at Khadgar, but did as he was asked anyway. Khadgar’s eyes lit up briefly as a flower bloomed in his hand. Anduin turned it around to look at it, and the glow it put off. Khadgar twisted his fingers and it changed shape, turning into a small lion. It paced on Anduin’s hand and roared before exploding into little blue sparkles.

 

“Neat trick.” he said as he stopped Khadgar for a second to look at him. The light they had been following went out, leaving only the moonlight. 

 

Khadgar’s breath caught as Anduin stopped him and turned him by his shoulders so they were facing each other. 

 

“Your eyes look beautiful when you cast spells, did you know that?” Anduin asked, leaning in closer to Khadgar. “It’s fascinating to watch.” 

 

Khadgar looked over the warriors face, unsure if he was teasing him or if he was genuine. 

 

“You’re drunk.” 

 

“And you’re not?”

 

“Not as drunk as you.”

 

“I was giving you a compliment, spell chucker.” 

 

“Were you though?” 

 

Anduin cupped Khadgar’s face and kissed him in that moment. Khadgar stood shocked for a brief second before returning the kiss. When they parted, Anduin smiled while stroking Khadgar’s cheek with his thumb. 

 

“Yes, I was.” 

 

Khadgar’s heart fluttered in his chest, was Anduin doing this because he was drunk? Or did the warrior genuinely feel something for him? 

 

“Anduin, I.. are we just drunk?” 

 

Anduin smirked, and kissed him again, slowly, tenderly. Khadgar melted into the kiss, tangling a hand in Anduin’s hair, finally able to act on the feelings he’s been bottling up. In the distance, Anduin heard a wolf howl and he pulled away, reluctantly. Nothing would come of this if they got attacked by a wolf. He doubted they would be able to fight off much of anything, aside from each other, while drunk. 

 

“We should head back to the castle, before a wolf decides to eat us.” Anduin said, putting his arm around the mage’s shoulders. 

 

Khadgar laughed “True, I’m not sure if I could hit much of anything right now.” he leaned into Anduin’s embrace. They walked in silence until they got to the castle. They stopped in front of the door to Khadgar’s quarters, Anduin looked down at Khadgar. 

 

“So, what are we going to do about this, spell chucker?” 


	8. It's Dangerous

Khadgar woke slowly, the ache in his head a reminder that too much alcohol comes back to haunt you. Remembering to mind his limits the next time he decided to drink, he opened his eyes and looked around… not his room. At that moment he felt an arm drape across his waist and the press of someone against his back. He glanced over his shoulder, 

 

“Anduin?” 

 

Anduin grunted, his head was pounding and he snuggled up against Khadgar. Wait.

 

“Khadgar?” 

 

They both looked at each other for a moment, remembering the nights events. The drinks, the stolen kisses in the moonlight on the walk home and the realization that Anduin asked Khadgar to come to his quarters, which the mage willingly obliged to do. 

 

“I would have gotten you drunk sooner if I’d known I could get you into my bed that way.” Anduin smirked, breaking the silence, and the tension. 

 

Khadgar laughed “I still managed to drink you under the table, lightweight.” 

 

“How? You’re a bookworm.” 

 

Khadgar shrugged, turning to face Anduin and snuggling into his arms. Anduin wrapped his arms around him, enjoying the moment. He half expected the mage to have regrets, but it seemed that wasn’t the case. He kissed the top of Khadgar’s head and smiled as the mage looked up at him. 

 

Khadgar kissed Anduin, “So, what ARE we going to do about this?” he asked, wondering if the warrior had an regrets from their activities the night before. He hoped not, he also was half expecting to wake up in his bed, alone, as if this were all a dream. But the soreness his body felt told him that wouldn’t be the case. 

 

“I could get used to waking up with you in my bed, if that’s what you want.” Anduin replied softly, a little more forward than he wanted to be but he had to know if his feelings were returned. 

 

“I could too.” Khadgar smiled and kissed him again. 

 

“My head kinda hurts though.” 

 

“Alcohol will do that to you, welcome to your first hangover.”

 

“And you willingly do this to yourself? You’re insane.”

Khadgar then yanked the covers over his head and groaned “Can I just stay here and die? This is miserable.” 

 

Anduin laughed, “Sorry, spell chucker, it doesn’t work that way. We should eat, and plenty of water. Best thing for it.” He climbed out of bed and tried to find his clothes. They were all over the room, and he smirked at the memory of how they got there. The mage, for all his shyness, was quite bossy once they were in his room.

 

Khadgar watched as Anduin tried to locate all his clothing. He was quite enjoying the view of the naked warrior, admiring the toned muscles he didn’t get to see much of under all his armor. He was rewarded with his tunic smacking him in the face. 

 

“Ow.”

 

“You were ogling.”

 

“You’re insufferable.” 

 

“You’re fun.”

 

He shook his head and climbed out of bed as well. Once they found their discarded clothing, they washed up and headed towards the kitchen. 

 

As they were eating, Taria walked in, took a good look at both of them, nodded her head once with a smile, and left. Khadgar looked over at Anduin, “What was that about?” Anduin chuckled and shook his head, “Nothing. Just a meddling sister who thinks she knows everything.” He pushed away from the table, washed up his dishes and stopped to look at Khadgar. 

 

“What are your plans for today?” 

 

Khadgar looked up at the warrior, standing to wash his dishes as well. “I was probably going to head to the library, there are a few books I wanted to look at in regards to how we can stop Gul’dan before he destroys more of the land.” 

 

Anduin nodded “I have some reports and orders and boring paperwork to do today. But I don’t have much planned for this afternoon. I could come by then and see what you’ve found, if you want.” 

 

“I’d like that” Khadgar said with a smile, putting away the cleaned dishes. Anduin kissed him on the cheek and left. Khadgar blushed and headed for the library. 

 

Anduin took care of all his paperwork and orders swiftly, stopping to check on the progress being made getting the barracks ready for the new round of recruits he had coming in the next two weeks. The war was slowly dwindling his forces, if they didn’t stop Gul’dan soon, he wasn’t sure they could fight him too much longer. They had taken a huge hit after the battle where they lost Llane. 

 

Khadgar was pouring over a book he had brought with him from Karazhan, one that showed promise in trying to stop Gul’dan. It was one that wasn’t in the library originally, he had happened to find it among the books Medivh had been working on. He stumbled across it when he was cleaning up and tucked it away, hoping it would be useful later. 

 

That’s where Anduin found him, sitting up against the wall under a window, cross legged with the book in his lap. Mouthing the words he was reading while twisting a quill back and forth, occasionally jotting things down on the parchment next to him. He leaned against the doorframe just watching him for a bit before asking “Found anything yet, bookworm?” 

 

Khadgar jerked his head up at the sound of Anduin’s voice, “Anduin!” then he frowned. 

 

“Yes, but you might not like it. It’s dangerous.”

 


	9. You won't be going alone

“You’re completely insane, you know that right? There’s absolutely no way I’m letting you do that, spell chucker. I mean it. Find something else. Keep reading.” 

 

Khadgar sighed loudly, throwing his hands up in the air and sitting down heavily on the chair. They had been arguing for what felt like hours. While yes, he agreed with Anduin that he was nowhere near as powerful as Medivh was, he still felt confident he could pull off what he was suggesting. Anduin was having none of it, and was refusing outright to even acknowledge such a plan. 

 

Anduin drug his hands across his face, pulling at his cheeks and staring holes into the mage as he sat there. Hard headed didn’t quite describe Khadgar at this particular moment. While he understood he didn’t know near as much about the arcane as Khadgar did, there was no way he was going to agree to Khadgar using such extreme methods of trying to stop Gul’dan. 

 

He sighed, “It’s late, and I doubt you’ve eaten since breakfast. Why don’t we take a break and eat, we can talk more about this later.” 

 

Khadgar just snorted, not getting up from the chair he had so graciously flopped himself into. 

 

“Khadgar.” Anduin said a little more softly, crouching down in front of the mage so he could see his face. “Please.” 

 

Khadgar looked at Anduin, trying hard to stay angry but he just couldn’t. He understood why the warrior was being so insistent about finding another way. The spell was a larger scale of what Medivh had used during the ambush in Elwynn Forest. There was a chance it would be more mana exhausting than what he had dealt with when they took back Stonewatch. But he had to try, they had to get the upper hand on Gul’dan. 

 

“Okay. I probably should eat. Can we eat in your quarters though?” He wasn’t really in the mood to be around other people at this moment. 

 

Anduin nodded, “I’ll grab something from the kitchen, why don’t you head to my room. I’ll be there shortly.” 

 

“I’ll clean up here and head that way.” He straightened up the books, grabbed his parchments and wordlessly teleported into Anduin’s room. He wasn’t sure where they stood in terms of letting everyone else know about them, so he figured that was safer. 

 

Anduin appeared a few minutes later with some food and drinks. He looked pleased when he saw Khadgar in the room. He half expected the mage would have stayed in the library pouting. He set the food and drinks down on the desk in front of the window. He grabbed some of the bread, broke it in half and offered the one of the halves to Khadgar. He started to eat his, watching as the mage sat back down on the bed with a sigh, pulling small pieces of the bread and eating it slowly. 

 

Khadgar wasn’t very hungry, but he ate small pieces to appease Anduin. He knew otherwise the warrior would be on his case about yet another thing. He was still very frustrated from their earlier argument. He tried to tell himself it was because Anduin was concerned for him, but part of him wondered if it was because Anduin didn’t think he was capable. He had stopped Medivh, defeated a demon and purged the fel from Karazhan. He was a powerful mage, despite how young he was. He just wanted a chance to stop this before more of their world, more of their people, were lost. 

 

Anduin continued to study the mage as they ate in silence, he could see the wheels turning in the mages head. He thought back to their argument in the library, becoming aware of the fact that he was treating Khadgar much like a child and not the man he was. Not the Guardian that he was. Khadgar was the one who found the fel, was the one who figured out Medivh’s betrayal. He was also the one to stop Medivh, the demon, and then purge the fel from Karazhan. He had resisted the fel, not succumbed to it as Medivh had. 

 

“It’s not that I don’t think you can do it,” he started to say softly, breaking the silence and grabbing Khadgar’s attention. “You said yourself it was dangerous, and I don’t like the idea of going into this hastily.” 

 

Khadgar looked at Anduin a moment before responding, “Time is something we just don’t have, Anduin. Gul’dan is destroying the land. If we don’t stop him, we won’t have much of a world left.” 

Anduin sighed, standing up to pace the room. He didn’t like the idea of Khadgar doing the spell, it was dangerous from what the mage said. His own inexperience with the arcane meant he had to trust Khadgar. But they were out of options, his forces were dwindling and Gul’dan was slowly destroying the land. They had to do something, even if he didn’t like the option presented to him. Khadgar was the Guardian. It was his duty to protect the realm. 

 

Khadgar stood and walked over to Anduin, causing the warrior to stop his pacing. “I know it’s dangerous, but we both know it has to be done.” 

 

“Okay, we’ll start gathering troops. You won’t be going alone.” 


	10. His Heart

Anduin spent the next couple of weeks training the new recruits, preparing his men and women for their march on the portal. If Khadgar was going to try to pull this off, they needed as much of a distraction as possible so he could gain the upper hand on Gul’dan. He still wasn’t sure he liked the idea, but as the mage pointed out several times over the last couple of weeks, he was the Guardian and it was his duty to protect the realm. Anduin promised him that he would be there to make sure he was protected and could do this. Gul’dan had to go. 

 

He knew the mage was in the library doing more research than seemed humanly possible. That’s what Khadgar did most of the time the last couple of weeks, going over the spells and what he needed to do over and over again. Anduin just focused on what he knew. Preparing for war. He couldn’t allow himself to think about what could go wrong, what could happen to Khadgar if this failed. The mage had come to mean so much to him, and he didn’t think he could handle losing him, too. 

 

The sudden knock and opening of his door in the barracks broke him of his thoughts, and he found himself looking at his sister as she came in and closed the door. 

 

“Is everything okay?” he asked, wondering why she came down to the barracks to speak with him. He briefly panicked, wondering if something had happened, but the calm in his sisters face told him things were fine. 

 

Taria smiled at him, “Yes, everything's fine. I wanted to talk with you alone, figured this was a good place to try to catch you.” 

 

Anduin relaxed more, gesturing to the chair so his sister could take a seat. “What’s on your mind?” 

 

“How are the plans going?” she asked, looking over his desk at the maps and orders. 

 

“They’re all in place, we will probably ride out in two days.” he replied, picking up a map compass and twisting it back and forth in his hand. “Again, what’s on your mind?” 

 

“Khadgar came to speak with me.” 

 

His heart jumped up into his throat. He couldn’t speak for a moment, just looking at his sister. “He did?” 

 

“He told me what he plans on doing.” she continued, her tone softening. “I understand why you are so apprehensive about it all. But you do have to have faith in him that he knows what he’s doing. I know what he means to you. What you mean to him.” 

 

Anduin turned away from her, staring at the wall. He and Khadgar had not talked much in the last couple of weeks about what they were planning for. They both fell into bed together exhausted from all the work and preparations they were doing, just taking comfort in each other’s presence. There was a sense of dread in his heart, that these were their last days together. 

 

“Yes, well, in terms of Azeroth, he is the Guardian and I have to stand aside and let him do what he needs to. The same as I have to do my duty for Stormwind.”

 

Taria sighed, not unkindly. She understood her brother was hurting, but didn’t want to push him. When he turned to face her, she stood and hugged him. 

 

“Both of you, come back safe. I have faith in you both.” she said before leaving, closing the door gently behind her. 

 

Anduin stabbed the desk with the map compass and stared at it for a moment, trying to force the tears stinging his eyes to leave him be. Once upon a time, a young mage broke into his barracks. He recalled slamming the mage onto the desk, pinning him with that same compass. Silencing the mage by covering his mouth, but still seeing determination in those eyes. The same eyes that had stolen his heart. Now, he was faced with the possibility of losing his heart. 

 

If he lost Khadgar, he really didn’t care what happened to him. 

 

He left the barracks with orders for the troops to rest, they had been practicing hard. They needed a break. He took off for the library. 

 

Khadgar was sitting at the table, surrounded by books. He had his face in his hands, running through things in his head. He was convinced he could do this, he had to do this. Everyone depended on him. Anduin depended on him. He was the Guardian. It was his duty to protect the realm. Gul’dan was strong, he had been wielding the fel for a long time and he wasn’t sure how well he could counter such a dark magic. He had to get this right the first time. He knew Anduin would be there with him, but he couldn’t risk Gul’dan using the fel on Anduin. He didn’t stand a chance against it. He had to get this right, or risk losing Anduin. He couldn’t live in a world without the warrior. He stood and looked at the books in front of him and in one swipe with his arm, knocked them all to the floor. 

 

Anduin leaned against the wall, watching with a raised eyebrow as Khadgar raged against books.

 

“What did those poor defenseless books ever do to you?” 


	11. Gul'dan has to go

Khadgar just stared at Anduin. He felt like he was going to explode. His magic was humming under his skin. He had never felt this truly angry before. Anduin stepped forward and took Khadgar’s hand. He quietly led him through the keep and out to the training grounds and the target dummies. He positioned Khadgar in front of them, gesturing his hand towards them and stepped back, out of the way. 

 

Khadgar quickly enchanted one so that he wouldn’t completely destroy it and then proceeded to unleash any and every spell he could on it. Fireballs, pyroblasts, ice lances, frostbolts. He threw everything he knew. With every spell he thought more and more about the fight. About what he had to do. About the people he was protecting. 

 

Anduin stayed back, letting the mage unleash his rage on the target dummy. He had felt the way Khadgar was feeling before, the uncontrolled anger at the inability to protect those you love. Those you were sworn to protect. He remembered slashing through the orcs when he went to the portal, when he retrieved Llane’s body. Grief is a powerful thing.

 

He did notice, however, that with each spell the mage cast, they seemed to be stronger. He knew that as a Guardian, Khadgar’s powers would eventually grow stronger as he adjusted. It almost felt like he was watching that happen. 

 

Khadgar kept up his relentless assault, finally screaming “Shala’ros!” launching a massive arcane blast at it. The spell was so strong it broke through the protective enchantment and actually blew up the dummy. 

 

Anduin stared wide eyed at what was left of the target dummy. He had seen Khadgar enchant it, and yet there was a smoldering pile left where it once stood. He turned to look at the mage who was staring at his hands in disbelief. 

 

“Khadgar?” he asked softly, walking slowly forward and reaching out, placing a hand on the mage’s shoulder. 

Khadgar looked up at him. His eyes determined. “I can do this.” 

 

Anduin just smiled at him, grabbing his hand again and leading him back to the castle. 

 

\---------

 

Khadgar threw another flamestrike down, knocking the second line of orcs charging them back. They were pushing through to the portal. He could see Gul’dan’s tent, and see the warlock inside of it, watching the fray from a distance. He saw an opening, looking to his right to find Anduin. He saw the warrior slice through another orc that had charged his horse. 

 

“Anduin!” he yelled, then pointed towards the opening, before pushing through. He launched another flamestrike to his right, pushing the orcs back so Anduin and a couple other troops could follow. 

 

Anduin followed close behind, making sure to avoid the flamestrike Khadgar had just laid down. He was in awe of how much the mage’s powers had grown just in the last couple of days. As Khadgar had explained it, he had managed to unlock the access to the previous Guardian’s abilities. He wasn’t sure he fully understood, but he definitely knew Khadgar had become a force to be reckoned with. 

 

Gul’dan had noticed the mage, and was following him as he made his way through the sea of orcs and humans. He stepped forward and started to cast as Khadgar got close, but found himself deflecting a barrage of arcane missiles. He roared in anger, attempting to launch another fel bolt towards Khadgar. 

 

Khadgar saw and immediately shouted the incantation to silence a caster. Gul’dan roared in fury again, charging towards the mage. Anduin leapt down from his horse and swung at Gul’dan, catching one of his arms. Khadgar cast the spell he learned from Medivh’s book, pulling at the fel inside Gul’dan. He watched the warlock freeze in place, screaming in agony. He managed to push back enough to launch another fel bolt at Khadgar, interrupting the spell and knocking Khadgar back several feet. 

 

“No!” Anduin roared, launching himself forward and slicing off the arm Gul’dan had used to cast. The orc roared, whipping around and grabbing Anduin by the throat with his other hand. He laughed at Anduin as he struggled against the orc’s hold. 

 

Khadgar gasped for air, having the wind knocked out of him as he had gotten launched backwards. His chest ached, but when he saw Anduin in the air he repeated the spell again, forcing Gul’dan to drop Anduin and drop to the ground. He couldn’t let Gul’dan use Anduin as fuel. 

 

Gul’dan roared in agony once more, before dying just as the fel infected orcs had in Elwynn Forest. The fight around them seemed to stand still as the orcs looked at the body of Gul’dan. 

 

Anduin stood up coughing, looking around desperately for Khadgar. He saw the mage crumbled on the ground, not moving. He ran over to him, completely unaware of everyone else around him. He found a pulse, faint, but there. He quickly mounted his horse, cradling Khadgar in front of him. He called out a retreat, escorted by the men who had followed him and Khadgar to the tent. They had accomplished what they set out to do. They were going to get out of there while the orcs were still bewildered over Gul’dan’s death. 

 

He looked down at Khadgar. He was alive, but he wasn’t waking up. 

 


	12. Wake Up

Anduin stared blankly at the wood grain of the table before him. He was tired of these meetings, these discussions that ended up accomplishing nothing. He wanted nothing more than to go back to just being the commander, only worrying about the safety of Stormwind. While Taria handled most of the diplomatic relations, he was still needed in these meetings. 

 

“The attacks against our villages and garrisons have been few and far between. At this point we can only assume they are just trying to make a place for themselves in our world. It’s now their world, as well. We know they can’t go back to theirs. With both Medivh and Gul’dan gone, there’s no way to use the portal, from what I understand.” he finally said, frustrated with the circular talk. 

 

“I’m inclined to agree.” the representative from Darnassus stated. “While they have created much devastation to our homes and villages, we are rebuilding now and they are settling into surrounding lands. While it’s not an idea situation, it does seem that they are tired of the fighting as well.” 

 

More murmuring, and Taria called an end to the meeting. She reached over, gently placing her hand on Anduin’s arm, speaking softly “Have you gone to see him yet this morning?” 

 

Anduin sighed, “I have not. Neridel did stop by before the meeting and said that he seemed to be doing better, I’m quite thankful the Darnassian envoy brought such a talented priest with them. She said he could wake in a matter of days.” 

 

It had been 5 weeks since their fight at the portal, since Gul’dan died. There were reports of discord within the orc ranks at first, but things seemed to have been settling. Unfortunately, the fight with Gul’dan had taken a lot out of the mage as well as his wounds from the spell that slammed Khadgar across the field, leaving him in a coma. Their best healers worked on him consistently, but they were at a loss. A week ago, when the Darnassian emissary arrived, their healer, a young night elf priest, had overheard Anduin explaining what had happened to the Guardian. She asked if she could see him. Anduin agreed, and she seemed to be making quite a bit of progress. Her optimism for his recovery was a light in the dark that had become his days. 

 

“You should go see him, there’s nothing more we have to attend to today. Maybe your presence will help.” Taria suggested, breaking him of his thoughts.  He nodded, thanking the other representatives for their time and headed down to Khadgar’s private quarters. He had been moved there to make his recovery more comfortable, and private. 

 

“Good afternoon, sire.” Neridel acknowledged him with a smile as he came into the room. 

 

Anduin nodded hello, returning a soft smile. Her care for Khadgar had endeared her to him quite a bit. She was very talented and he noticed that Khadgar looked more at peace than he had under the care of their own healers. He didn’t know much about their healing, only that they drew from the goddess Elune, but it did seem to work well for Khadgar. 

 

He sat on the bed next to Khadgar, taking his hand into his. Neridel left the room quietly, having finished her work for the time being. He ran his hand over the mages knuckles, smirking a little at how soft his hands were. Anduin’s own were calloused and battle worn. Books don’t wear your hands like swords do. 

 

“The orcs are backing down, settling into their new homes. Even as far as Kalimdor the war is slowing down. You did it, you helped end it. I just wish you would wake up and see what you have accomplished.” he said softly, talking more for himself. He wasn’t sure Khadgar could hear him, but he figured it couldn’t hurt. 

 

“You saved us all that day. You saved me.” he said, his voice breaking. He laid Khadgar’s hand back on the bed, choosing instead to curl on on his side, laying his head on Khadgar’s waist, gently, as to not hurt the mage. He closed his eyes and just focused on Khadgar’s steady breathing. He fell asleep, tears still on his cheeks. 

 

Khadgar woke slowly, feeling still very weak and drained. He felt a slight weight on his waist, and opened his eyes carefully, looking down and seeing Anduin curled on his side, asleep. He could see the drying tears on his cheeks and his heart was breaking. He could tell it had been some time, how long he wasn't sure. He knew that the fight was hard on his body and he would need time to recover. He tested lifting his arm and found that, while weak, it was responsive. He gently wiped the tears off of Anduin’s cheek. 

 

Anduin opened his eyes with a gasp, closing his hand around the hand on his face. He looked up and saw Khadgar’s warm brown eyes watching him. 


	13. Glad you're here

“That’s cheating! No magic!” Anduin laughed after Khadgar, who had just blinked to intercept the ball they were tossing around with the young prince and princess. They had been playing for what seemed like hours, giving the children a break from the mundane routine they had inside the castle. 

 

Khadgar laughed, enjoying the sun on his face, finally glad to be feeling like his normal self. At least what had become his new normal. His full Guardian powers were unlocked and at his beck and call. He felt more complete, somehow. Looking back at Anduin as he tossed the ball to Varian, he realized he was complete in many ways. He had love, something that he never thought would be within his grasp, both as a mage and most certainly when they told him he would be the new Guardian. He had a family, with Anduin, Taria and the children. Something he had long since given up ever having for himself. 

 

Anduin watched as Khadgar was tossing the ball around with Varian and Adariall, he felt content and at peace. The weeks that Khadgar had been in the coma were hard on him. His heart felt like it was going to burst when he had woken up to find Khadgar was awake. He had lost so much, he wasn’t sure he could handle losing Khadgar as well. The mage recovered very quickly once he was out of the coma. Fortunately, as the attacks had lessened, Khadgar had plenty of time to recover without the urgent rush of taking care of any loose ends. 

 

Taria watched for a few minutes longer before interrupting the game to remind the children they had lessons to do. She was happy to see the two men playing and carefree, after everything they had gone through in the last few months. There were still things that needed dealt with, but it was nice that they all could just be, at least for a time. While they had lost many, they still had each other. 

 

The children pouted and protested, but finally relented and followed their mother inside. Anduin flopped down on the grass, tossing the ball and smacking Khadgar right in the stomach with it. Khadgar mocked hurt, falling down beside Anduin. They both laughed for a few minutes before a comfortable silence fell over them, the two of them lying side by side on the courtyard grass. 

 

Khadgar closed his eyes, enjoying the breeze, the sounds of the city. It was the little things he noticed most, after waking up from the coma. The smell of the ocean from the harbor, the shouts of the vendors in the city. The way Anduin tilted his head when he was picking on the mage. The humor in Taria’s voice as she chastised her brother, yet again. The laughter of the prince and princess as they played. 

 

Anduin realized how tired he was as he lay there, eyes closed, letting the breeze flow over him and cool him off. He was glad to just be for once, as a man. An uncle, a brother and a lover. He didn’t have the threat of attack hanging over him, worrying when or where the next strike would be. While they still trained and recruited troops, there wasn’t the added pressure anymore. For once he didn’t feel the need to rush anything. He just let things happen as they did, not feeling that all the eyes were on him, looking for the next decision he made. 

 

He then looked over to Khadgar, taking in the vision that was the mage. His hair was matted down in some places from sweating, his face flushed and he had his eyes closed, with a content smile. He was thankful that at the moment Khadgar could just be, as well. As the Guardian, he knew that at any time the mage could be called away to handle a crisis. For now, though, he was content to just be as well. After a few moments, the mage opened his eyes and looked over at Anduin, finding the warrior studying him. He rolled to his side, a questioning look on his face as he propped himself up on his elbow. 

 

“What is it?”

 

“It’s nothing. I’m glad you’re here, Khadgar.” 

 

“I’m glad I’m here too.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The end! 
> 
> I'm considering possibly making this a series, I'm not 100% sure yet. I have a few ideas I'm playing with right now. Thank you for reading my first fan fiction!!! <3


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